Josh Erickson, Author at FlexTrades

This week was National Payroll Week which is observed in recognition of all employees and the payroll professionals who pay them. These groups are put together because they collectively handle, report, contribute or otherwise touch 70% of the US Treasury’s annual revenue. Wow! In honor of the week, we asked our accounting department what they think your accounting department wants you to know. We learned 5 big things from them.

Regularly Review Your Pay Stub

This is not only to ensure your pay is accurate either. Things to review include other pay items such as deductions and taxes.

Please be sure to send any updates, changes, or information as soon as possible. There is processing time between when information is received to funds being paid, and this will help ensure timely inclusion in payroll.

Make Sure to Keep Them Updated

Please be sure to send any updates, changes or information as soon as possible. There is processing time between when information is received to funds being paid, and this will help ensure timely inclusion in payroll.

It’s Just Math

“Accountants aren’t any more qualified than you to divvy up the bill at a restaurant.” Bring a calculator and figure out the tip yourself. You’ve got this.

Fun Fact

The most common pay frequency in the U.S. is biweekly, which is used by 37 percent of private businesses. Surprisingly, weekly beats semimonthly as a runner-up at 32 percent.

More Tips & Tricks

I hope you found value in this list. If you’d like to learn more about your accounting department, give them a call or email and I bet you’ll be glad you did. If you’d like more lists check out our blog page to see more. Did we miss something about accounting that you’d like to share? We’d love to help you do that! Send to our Writing Team and we’ll be happy to share them in a future blog. Stay cool and be safe this summer!

September is International Update Your Resume Month. Most careers require a resume as part of consideration for employment but too often people try to write a resume at the last minute. Since a well-done resume takes time and research to create, the last minute is the worst time for jobseekers to make one. Making this month the perfect reminder to get YOUR resume ready for the next unexpected opportunity to pop up. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you craft a resume that work for you rather than against!

Honesty is the best policy

According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 1 in 4 hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds reviewing a resume but 75% of them have still caught a lie while doing so, leading them to not follow up with that candidate. This means that honesty is your best policy when applying for a job. Not only because it can hold you back but because you’re not setting yourself up for future success even if you do get a call back!

Proof(reading) is in the pudding

“You’re not hiring me to write so why does my resume matter?” I hear that all the time from those working more technical roles, like machinists and welders. But, in the era of online applications and telephone interviews, even for the technical trades your resume matters more than ever today. Why? Because a hiring manager sees your resume before they ever see you or your work, making it your best opportunity to put your most (or least) professional foot forward first. Thus, proofing for proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling help subconsciously reflect your strengths like thoroughness, attention to detail, and willingness to take the extra step.

Be specific and detailed

If nobody has told you yet, everyone in a hiring position uses resume-reading programs. If your resume is found on an online platform it’s found because it contained certain keywords that were used as search terms. This means that even the right experience can be missed by hiring managers if it’s not being represented by the words and phrases they’re using to search for candidates. How then does a jobseeker succeed? By using this knowledge to their advantage when writing their resume. For example, if you’re a welder looking to highlight your TIG (GTAW) welding experience a quick Google search will show you that kind of welding is searched for most commonly as ‘TIG’ or ‘GTAW’. Therefore, you should make sure to use both terms within your resume and you should avoid other punctuation marks like hyphens or backslashes. If you do so, more eyeballs will see your resume, and you’ll get more interview requests and job offers as a result.

References: Professional vs Personal

When asked to provide references most of us generally submit the people that know us best because they are the ones most likely to say good things about us. But remember, no matter how good, or true, the things your friends and former coworkers have to say about you are it doesn’t make them a professional reference. A truly professional reference is not just somebody that knows you or someone you’ve work with before. Rather it is somebody you’ve worked FOR (shift leads, supervisors, foremen, trainers, etc.) because those are the kind of references that can speak about you as a technician, person, coworker, AND employee. When you have a reference like that to make sure you have good contact information for them and give them a heads up you’ve used them as a reference. This last part is important. Make sure they reliably respond to outreach, because even the best reference in the world doesn’t do you any good if they don’t answer when called.

I hope these tips encourage you to update your own resume and, hopefully, make doing so a little easier. If you’d like to find other ways to celebrate International Update Your Resume Day, there are many more options on the web. We’ve done blogs on other topics jobseekers might find helpful, interview tips. Check them out on our blog page. And, of course, if you have other resume tips or questions just send them to our Writing Team and we’ll be happy to cover them in a future article.

National Grief Awareness Day is August 30 this year. It began almost a decade ago. The intention of this day (and National Grief Awareness Month throughout all of September) is to raise overall awareness of the many ways those affected by grief cope with loss, provide resources to those going through personal losses, and to remind us all the importance of supporting people we know to be grieving. Like many silent struggles, there are many tools available to the individual experiencing grief but there is often a stigma associated with needing or using them. To try and reduce the stigma around conversations about grief, I’d like to talk to you about my personal experience using one of the tools available to millions of Americans attempting to manage their grief – their EAP (Employee Assistance Program).

What is Grief?

According to the Mayo Clinic, grief is a strong, sometimes overwhelming emotion for people, regardless of whether their sadness stems from the loss of a loved one or from a terminal diagnosis they or someone they love have received. The feelings associated with grief can vary greatly from person to person and so can how long it most strongly affects people. People can also use a wide range of tools to cope with grief, both internal and external. If you’re uncertain about whether your grieving process is normal, consult your health care professional. Outside help is sometimes beneficial to people trying to recover and adjust to a death or diagnosis of a terminal illness.

What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?

An employee assistance program (EAP) is a work-based intervention program designed to assist employees in resolving personal problems that may be adversely affecting the employee’s performance. EAPs traditionally have assisted workers with issues like alcohol or substance misuse; however, most now cover a broad range of issues such as child or elder care, relationship challenges, financial or legal problems, wellness matters and traumatic events like workplace violence. Programs are delivered at no cost to employees by stand-alone EAP vendors or providers who are part of comprehensive health insurance plans. Services are often delivered via phone, video-based counseling, online chatting, e-mail interactions or face-to-face.

How do you use an EAP for grief assistance?

My father died on Halloween of 2021. Dad and I were close and his passing was not peaceful or pleasant. I wouldn’t say I’ve necessarily struggled since losing him, but I can’t pretend I’ve thrived either. Some days I find myself crying in the car for no reason and others I feel like my focus is affected. When I was first reminded that our EAP through FlexTrades had resources for dealing with grief I checked them out online and found them helpful. When another bad day hit me months later, I decided to call and use one of the 3 annual sessions with a trained and licensed councilor which my EAP provides. I was connected and prescreened to make sure I was not in need of emergency assistance then we simply had a conversation. We talked about the things I’ve been feeling and the things many others typically feel in my situation. Then we discussed avenues and alternatives to coping. Finally, we talked about professional service providers in my area and the counselor even was able to provide a list of those I could call in my area that matched my requirements and were covered under my insurance plan. It was easy, non-judgmental, helpful, and surprisingly cathartic.

Ways to cope

What I learned from that counseling call was that my, and everyone else’s, experience with grief is unique. There is no right or wrong way to act or feel nor is there a “proper” amount of time for those feelings to last. But there are simple ways you can cope with grief.

Give yourself permission to take as much time as you need to help you move forward through processing your loss.
Surround yourself with caring, supportive people.
Find safe ways and places to express your feelings without hurting yourself or others.
Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Maintain as much of your “normal” routine and schedule as possible.

Empathetic grief is normal

Grieving isn’t just for those experiencing loss but for those who care about those who’ve lost. If you are a friend of someone currently experiencing grief don’t be frustrated if you’re struggling to support them. It can be difficult but try to remember these 5 things as a guide.

Be a supportive, caring listener.
Be a “safe friend” accepting your friend’s feelings, even those that are more negative.

Continue to reach out a month or more after the funeral.
Help your friend slow down their decision-making process when making changes following loss.
Let your friend know that it’s ok to not be “normal” yet at work and socializing, regardless of time-frame.

Recently, one of my streaming services had The Machinist in a list of movies recommended for me to watch next. I’ve seen the movie before and, at least from a critic’s perspective, it’s a fine film. Dark, suspenseful, surprising – it really does check a lot of boxes that normally indicate a great movie. But thinking about the film reminded me that it’s potentially frustrating to watch if you’re a machinist or somebody else working in a shop environment. For those of you who haven’t seen The Machinist yet, I’ll tell you why.

PPE

When was the last time you were in a shop, even a very small one, and didn’t see anyone utilizing their personal protection equipment? For me, it’s been a VERY long time. Having the right PPE is so important we actually published a checklist for technicians. However, you can watch every single shop-scene in this movie and not see a single set of safety glasses or hearing protection. Not even one! Some core scenes in this film are set around injuries that happen, or nearly happen, around production machines. Yet, somehow, nobody chooses to opt for extra PPE, even after they see a coworker gruesomely hurt. I dislike this part of The Machinist the most because it perpetuates a narrative about manufacturing that hasn’t fit the industry appropriately for decades.

Machine Tool Safety

Speaking of those machines, where are the guards? Why so lax on proper procedure? At one point, the main character brings up OSHA workplace standards regarding Lockout/Tagout requirements. Does his supervisor or coworkers appreciate his input? Of course not! Instead, he gets grumbles, snide remarks, and rolled eyes. All because he’s reminding them that there is an industry regulation already in place to prevent exactly the kind of injury that occurs later in the film. First, having spent plenty of time in a shop, I can tell you this attitude is inaccurate. I’ve forgotten LOTO myself a couple times when rushing and, I can promise you, it wasn’t my coworker who was embarrassed when it was brought to my attention. Second, portraying such disregard for such fundamental procedures in a film famed for being “realistic” creates a false sense of accuracy too. This in turn goes on to undermine industry integrity for everyone unfamiliar with production environments.

Environment

The theme of misrepresentation in this movie continues when you consider the physical environment of the shop itself. The Machinist is a dark and dirty movie, so it’s understandable that cinematographers chose to reflect that with the shop set they created. Understandable but sadly still a totally inaccurate representation of most modern machining facilities today. In a post-Kaizen, Six Sigma-focused industry the “standard” shop is now much different. Well lit, well ventilated, and clean is now the norm for everything from the machine to the shop floor. Part of the reason that the skills gap even exists in the trades is because media continues to portray the industry with such dated imagery.

Workforce Attitude

Another contributor to our current labor supply problem in manufacturing has a lot to do with the perceived attitude of our workforce. People in blue collar roles are commonly shown to be unwelcoming, unhelpful bullies.

Members of younger generations entering the workforce today are a product of an education system full of anti-bullying policies and they are unwilling to tolerate the idea of something else in their workplace. Movies like The Machinist add fuel to this fire making potential machinists and fabricators think that all their coworkers will be rude, uncaring jerks just waiting for a chance to retaliate. This is most unfortunate of all the film’s missteps because those of us already working in and around the trades know the opposite to be true. Namely, these aren’t our father’s factories we’re working in or their colleagues we’re working alongside. Rather, machinists today work in facilities using the most modern tools, processes, environments, procedures, AND mentalities.

That’s why The Machinist is a terrible movie for machinists. If this article still makes you want to watch the film yourself, it’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Whether you’ve seen it already or not, I hope it also makes you watch it differently than you would have otherwise. Our industry needs more thoughtful consideration about how we’re represented and how we represent ourselves. Got another movie you think is terrible (or wonderful) to watch for people in the trades? We’d love to hear about it. Send suggestions to our Writing Team and maybe you’ll hear what we think about it in a future review.

The start of the next school year is just around the corner. Anyone with a TV or a smartphone knows that. We see lots of articles and lists about what is best and worst for students to buy or use. Most of this information is aimed at the traditional K-12 or college student. What about those getting ready to start technical or vocational programs? They are still going to school and have many of the same needs and concerns any student does. However, those preparing for technical careers need to consider additional requirements due to the specific demands of their program or the physical environment of their lab (shop). The following recommendations are sure to help anyone training for the trades to show up on day one just a little more prepared.

Backpack – Every student needs a backpack but students in technical and trades programs need a backpack that can carry tools and hold up to the elements. There are many great options on the market, depending on your needs and tools. Some can get expensive though and price is still a consideration for those just beginning a career. This tool backpack from Milwaukee is the best combo of features, quality, and price you’ll find on the market. And it even has a padded sleeve for your laptop!
Tech Organizer – Technical education and technology go hand in hand, so keeping wires untangled is a major concern. The modern student has an ever-growing collection of gadgets, chargers, and cables. Organizers are a great way to keep such things protected and easily accessible. A quick Google search can reveal a lot of options for organizers. Bigger is normally better, especially if you must carry a brick charger for your computer, but slimmer is easier to store. Also, while durability is almost always a concern in the trades, a pouch like this will normally be stored within another bag. This means you can feel free to opt for a cheaper option when you have the choice. A great middle ground selection is this one from mDesign.
Pen & Paper – When you start a technical training program, you’ll spend plenty of time in the classroom. You’ll also find yourself in the shop or the elements frequently. This means your writing equipment needs to function in all conditions. There are plenty of pricey choices available but there are inexpensive options out there that still perform their best when the weather is at its worst. Consider this paired trio from my personal collection, a Rite in the Rain weatherproof notebook and a Zebra F-701 loaded with a Fisher Space Pen refill. The notebook won’t get damaged if you spill on it and will retain its shape even in your pocket. The pen is sturdy and runs pressurized ink cartridges, like Fishers, but costs much less than other options. Combining these items allows you to write in wet conditions, upside down, even in space (seriously, that’s why they call them Space Pens) so you’re sure your notes will always outlast the conditions.
Post-Its – Speaking of writing, if you want to leave a note around the site or your shop you want it to be seen. Post-It notes are great for this but don’t always love the dust, grease, dirt, and grime of many environments. 3M fixed this when they released Post-It Extreme Notes. These will work indoors or outdoors. They’re water-resistant, have 100x the holding power vs the originals, and they’ll still attach/detach without leaving residue.
Network – Everything you learn in a technical program will be important. But, just like anything else in life, what you know generally matters less than who you know. It’s essential that the modern tradesman starts building their network as soon as they start building their tool collection. This network of instructors, co-students, friends, family, and people connected to your school or trade will not only help you prepare for your first job, it’s very possible your network may be what leads you to that first job or the next. I’ve previously covered an easy way anyone can build their professional network using just 10 minutes a day. Read about my 30-day LinkedIn Challenge to learn more.

I hope you found these recommendations helpful. If you’d like some help choosing other equipment like lunchboxes or building your tool collection, you should check those blogs out as well! And remember, we’re always looking for ideas. If you have one for a future review or list, please send it to our Writing Team and we’ll be sure to cover it in a future article.

Personnel Management Group Inc.

7/25/2022

PMG, Inc. Announces Rebrand to FlexTrades

PMG built our reputation on the flexibility of our skilled trades technicians and the solutions they help us provide to the American manufacturing industry. Now we want that flexibility to be evident from the first time you hear our name – FlexTrades!

Minneapolis, MN July 25, 2022. PMG, Inc., a premier traveling workforce solutions provider serving companies across all industries of manufacturing, announced today that it has completed a major rebranding. This rebrand will allow the company to more clearly represent who they are and what they do while also reflecting the flexibility of the solutions they offer clients and the employment they provide their skilled tradespeople.

Established in 2004, PMG is a leader in deploying skilled industrial and engineering talent to clients in need of creative solutions to address production gaps. PMG leans on its nationwide workforce while managing all associated details, big and small, to deliver the right talent match for each client project. The rebranding to FlexTrades is comprehensive across all platforms. A new logo, colors, documents, branded materials, and website will launch in coordination with the name change.

While much of what they “look like” will change along with the name – nothing else will. FlexTrades will continue to provide the same highly skilled resources they always have to production-focused facilities across the nation with the same level of service and satisfaction their clients and technicians alike have come to expect.

“Our name and logo may be changing,” said Dave Jacobsen, FlexTrades CEO & Founder, “but what we do and how we do it won’t change in the slightest. The mission of PMG is to make a difference every day through its impact on American production. That will continue to be the FlexTrades mission today, tomorrow and into the future.”

Visit www.flextrades.com to explore the new website, brand, logo and more to learn how FlexTrades can make a difference for you.

About FlexTrades

FlexTrades is a premier traveling workforce solutions provider offering bespoke services to manufacturing, logistics and distribution companies across all sectors of the industry coast to coast. Established in 2004, FlexTrades is a leader in deploying skilled industrial and engineering talent to client facilities experiencing production shortfalls, skill gaps or operational backlogs. FlexTrades leverages its vast network of skilled trade technicians while seamlessly handling all travel logistics, administration, and personnel management to ensure the right talent for each project. The FlexTrades mission is to make a difference every day through its impact on American production. The success of this commitment is evident in the thousands of individuals annually provided with work that matters and by the ever-growing satisfaction of clients, technicians, corporate team members, partners, and communities.

Media Contact:

Josh Erickson

Public Relations & Engagement Specialist

jerickson@pmgservices.com

952-693-2801

Welcome to another installment of How It’s Made with FlexTrades, where we break down complex manufacturing processes in clear, digestible ways. In this edition, we’re answering a timely and important question:

How are vaccines made?

Let’s start with the basics.

What Is a Vaccine and How Does It Work?

At its core, a vaccine contains a version of the virus or bacteria it’s designed to protect against. This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s all about training your immune system to respond.

Here’s how:

Inactivated or killed vaccines: These vaccines contain a virus that has been fully inactivated (killed), such as in the polio or rabies vaccines.
Live attenuated vaccines: These contain a weakened version of the virus that’s strong enough to stimulate the immune system but not strong enough to make you sick. Examples include chickenpox, measles, and hepatitis B.

In both types, the goal is the same: introduce an antigen that prompts your immune system to produce antibodies—specialized proteins designed to recognize and neutralize threats. That way, if you’re ever exposed to the real virus, your body already knows how to fight it.

Step-by-Step: How Are Vaccines Made?

Making a vaccine is a highly controlled, multi-phase process that starts with science and ends with life-saving solutions in a syringe.

Step 1: Grow the Virus or Bacteria

Vaccines begin in the lab where scientists grow large quantities of the virus or bacteria.

Viruses are typically grown in cell cultures (often derived from chicken embryos).
Bacteria are grown in bioreactors, large tanks filled with nutrient-rich growth mediums like amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals, and proteins.

The goal in this stage is replication—producing enough of the virus or bacteria to create a strong immune response.

Step 2: Harvest and Isolate the Antigen

Once replication is complete, the next step is to extract the antigen (the part that triggers the immune system).

Scientists release the antigen from the cell or growth medium.
Then, they purify it using methods like chromatography or ultra-filtration to remove impurities and isolate only what’s needed.

Step 3: Formulate the Vaccine

Next, the purified antigen is mixed with additional ingredients to form the vaccine:

Adjuvants: Help boost the immune response.
Stabilizers: Maintain shelf life and preserve potency.
Preservatives: Allow multi-dose use and prevent contamination.

All of these components are blended in large vessels under strict quality control.

Step 4: Fill and Finish

Once the formula is ready:

The vaccine is dispensed into vials or prefilled syringes.
Each is sealed with sterile closures, labeled, and sometimes freeze-dried for long-term storage.

This is the version you eventually see at clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals.

More Than Manufacturing: The Bigger Picture

While the physical creation of a vaccine is highly technical, it’s only one part of a long process. From initial discovery to regulatory approval, vaccine development can take 15 to 20 years and includes:

Laboratory research
Pre-clinical studies
Multiple phases of clinical trials
Rigorous reviews by agencies like the FDA

Want to dive deeper into that process? Here’s a breakdown of the testing and regulation steps required before a vaccine ever hits the market.

At FlexTrades, we deliver workforce solutions to American manufacturers. That means solving complex problems, answering tough questions, and helping our clients and technicians understand the tools of the trade. One question that comes up more often than you’d think:

What’s the difference between a VTL and a VBM?

Let’s break it down.

VTL vs. VBM: A Simple Answer to a Confusing Question

Both Vertical Turret Lathes (VTLs) and Vertical Boring Mills (VBMs) are large-scale machining tools used to shape metal, typically for aerospace, energy, and industrial components. And yes, they’re very similar. In fact, so similar that they’re often confused for one another.

Here’s the key difference:

A VTL is essentially a VBM… but with a turret.

That turret adds a layer of versatility and automation that the traditional VBM doesn’t offer.

Why the Confusion?

VBMs have been around longer, but they don’t get talked about as much these days. The term “VTL” is more widely used in modern machine shops, even when the equipment is technically a VBM. And since many VBMs can perform basic turning operations, the lines between the two blur even further.

So while both machines operate on a vertical axis and use similar base designs, it’s the tool turret that sets a VTL apart.

What the Turret Brings to the Table

A VTL’s turret offers key performance advantages:

Threading Capabilities: Built-in turret tools can perform internal and external threading without manual changeover.
Shorter Setup Times: With tools preloaded in the turret, there’s less downtime between steps.
Fewer Tool Changes: Less manual intervention means faster cycle times and more consistent results.

These benefits all add up to one thing—efficiency. More productivity, less downtime, and better ROI for shops running high-volume or complex parts.

Which One Should You Use?

It depends on the job.

If you’re machining large, simple parts with minimal tool changes, a VBM may be all you need.
If your projects involve complex profiles, threading, or frequent tool changes, a VTL will likely deliver better performance.

The right machine is the one that fits the part, the budget, and the timeline. And the right technician? That’s where FlexTrades comes in.

Looking for Talent or Opportunities?

Whether you’re a manufacturer needing skilled machinists or a technician ready to work on high-end equipment like VTLs and VBMs, FlexTrades can help.

Employers: Reach out to our Client Solutions team to get started.
Machinists: Send your resume to recruiter@flextrades.com and tell us you’re ready for your next opportunity.

There’s an old debate that always seems to resurface at summer cookouts: what actually makes a sandwich… a sandwich?

According to Merriam-Webster, a sandwich is either:

Two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between
One slice of bread covered with food

So here’s the question—does that mean a hot dog is a sandwich? What about a hamburger?

If you ask around, you’ll get more opinions than answers. Some say the type of bread determines it. Others argue it’s all about the filling. And once you introduce plant-based alternatives into the mix, things get even more complicated. Does using a Beyond Meat patty change the status of your sandwich?

Regardless of your stance, summer is in full swing here at FlexTrades HQ, and that means one thing—grill season. Burgers, brats, veggies, even balsamic honey peaches with feta (highly recommended). But lately, we’ve been wondering… how are plant-based burgers actually made?

That brings us to this edition of How It’s Made.

What Goes Into a Plant-Based Burger?

Plant-based meats have come a long way. Products like the Impossible Burger or the Beyond Burger are engineered to look, cook, and even taste like the real thing. But how is that possible?

It all starts with a combination of science, innovation, and some very specific ingredients.

Ingredient 1: Heme

Heme is the magic behind the flavor in animal-based meats. It’s what gives beef that rich, slightly metallic taste when cooked. In animals, heme is found in muscle tissue (myoglobin). In plants, it comes from the roots of legumes like soybeans, where it’s called leghemoglobin.

But growing soybeans just to harvest leghemoglobin is expensive and resource-intensive. So instead, food scientists figured out how to engineer plant-based heme using yeast fermentation. Add yeast, sugar, and minerals. Let it grow. Extract the heme. This engineered version delivers the flavor punch that makes these burgers taste like beef.

Ingredient 2: Compounds

Flavor is more than just taste—it’s smell. And recreating the aroma of beef requires duplicating its unique mix of compounds.

Scientists used a process called Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry to break down the compounds found in real beef. Once identified, those compounds can be replicated in the lab and added to plant-based patties to mimic the scent and taste of the real thing.

Ingredient 3: Plant Proteins

Texture matters. That bite and chew of a real burger? It comes from protein.

Using protein analysis, scientists identified the structural characteristics of beef proteins and matched them to plant-based equivalents. Wheat and potato proteins give the firmness and moisture retention needed to create the familiar texture of ground meat.

Ingredient 4: Fat

Coconut oil, stripped of its natural flavor, is used to add richness and juiciness to plant-based burgers. It mimics the melt and mouthfeel of animal fat, especially when cooked.

How Are Plant-Based Burgers Manufactured?

Once the core ingredients are assembled, they go through a precise manufacturing process involving thermal and mechanical stress. Rapid heating and cooling help blend and reshape the proteins and fats. The final product is extruded into burger patties and packaged for distribution.

This is not backyard science. It’s high-tech food production driven by chemistry, precision equipment, and deep knowledge of how people experience taste and texture.

So… Is a Hamburger a Sandwich?

That brings us back to our original question. Is a hamburger a sandwich? What about a plant-based hamburger?

If it walks like a sandwich and grills like a sandwich… you decide.

One thing’s for sure—whether it’s beef or Beyond, grilled patties between buns are part of the American summer tradition. And we’re here for it.

FlexTrades provides workforce solutions to American manufacturers. That’s what we do. But we take the word “solutions” seriously. That means asking the right questions and listening closely to the answers. Along the way, we also get asked a lot of questions ourselves—especially when it comes to skilled trades advocacy. One of the most common?

How do you advocate for technical education and careers in the skilled trades?

Let’s talk about that.

Why Advocacy Matters

At FlexTrades, we believe that everyone in manufacturing—not just companies, but individuals—has a responsibility to advocate for careers in the skilled trades and technical education. These industries are foundational to the American economy, yet they continue to face workforce shortages, declining enrollment in trade programs, and a cultural bias that still favors four-year degrees over hands-on careers.

That’s why advocacy matters. But what does advocacy actually look like in practice? And how can you do it as one person?

Let’s break it down.

Do Your Homework

Advocacy starts with understanding. If you want to speak up for the trades, you need to know the issues. Go beyond surface-level statistics and headlines. Ask tough questions. What’s really driving the skills gap? What policies and perceptions are holding technical education back? What are the long-term implications for manufacturing if the talent pipeline continues to shrink?

When you dig deep, your voice carries more weight. Informed advocates don’t just raise awareness—they influence change.

Think Big

When you advocate, you’re not just speaking for yourself or your company. You’re representing an entire industry. That means thinking beyond your own experience and considering the broader ecosystem—students, workers, educators, employers, and policymakers.

Understand the challenges and the innovations. Get clear on the wins, the gaps, and the opportunities. Then focus on solutions that benefit everyone. Advocacy is about inclusion and momentum. The more people you bring with you, the more impact you’ll have.

Build Partnerships

No one advocates in a vacuum. Look for others in the industry who are pushing in similar directions—even if their mission isn’t identical to yours. Shared values and overlapping goals make for strong partnerships.

Whether it’s a local trade school administrator, an apprenticeship program coordinator, or a manufacturing executive who sees the same workforce problems you do, build the bridge. Work together. Share resources. Amplify each other’s efforts. That’s how real movements gain traction.

Plan for Resistance

Advocacy isn’t easy. It’s not supposed to be.

You’ll face resistance. From outdated systems. From people who prefer the status quo. From stakeholders who don’t want to disrupt what’s already working for them. But if what’s “working” isn’t solving the larger problem, it’s your job to say so.

Be willing to challenge old assumptions. Be brave enough to stand alone when necessary. True advocacy creates space for new ideas, better systems, and lasting progress—even if it makes a few people uncomfortable along the way.

Tools and Resources to Help You Get Started

If you want to dig deeper, here are a few great places to start:

mikeroweWORKS Foundation: A champion for skilled trades education and restoring the dignity of hard work.
Titans of CNC Academy: A free training platform focused on elevating CNC machining and manufacturing education.
FlexTrades On-Demand Webinars: Learn more about how the manufacturing sector is structured and how your company fits into the larger picture.

Got Questions? Let’s Talk.

Have your own question about manufacturing, labor shortages, or technical training? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us anytime at writingteam@flextrades.com, and we might feature your question in a future article.